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Igel

(35,293 posts)

35. No, purchases on credit is debt.

Reply to louis c (Reply #23)

Wed Jan 2, 2013, 02:39 AM

Jan 2013

I can authorize all kinds of spending, but until the money's spent there's no debt whatsoever.

And if I'm an employer and tell my employee to spend money that we don't have, he can't sign for a bank loan. He can't spend what's not there. It's delegated authority, and it's limited by a lot of things.

To go back to a poster quite a ways upstream, if authorization to spend also implies authorization to borrow, why doesn't it also imply authorization to tax? They're three separate powers. They can be wielded in arbitrary and unpredictable ways, but that doesn't mean that they suddenly merge.

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38 replies

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Highlight:

The validity of the public debt of the U.S.....shall not be questioned (14th Amendment) [View all] louis c Dec 2012 OP

I agree the whole debt ceiling charade seems unconstitutional to me. grantcart Dec 2012 #1

Congress hasn't passed a budget in years Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #16

Well a lot of the nations' leading legal scholars disagree with you grantcart Dec 2012 #18

Youngstown Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #19

k&r... spanone Dec 2012 #2

So this is the law and the POTUS should just enforce it? Deep13 Dec 2012 #3

Thank you, louis Cha Dec 2012 #4

Damn good point! annabanana Dec 2012 #5

Ah, but I've been told today on DU that the constitution should be ignored n2doc Dec 2012 #6

It is a document that is subject to interpretation and change louis c Dec 2012 #7

i don't think that I'd note it works FreeJoe Dec 2012 #8

The debt ceiling increases are for all past spending. louis c Dec 2012 #9

That's precisely the point. Igel Dec 2012 #11

But I bet if the budget doesn't balance, you still have to eat louis c Dec 2012 #12

That is the weirdest reasoning I have ever seen Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #17

Come on louis c Jan 2013 #23

No, purchases on credit is debt. Igel Jan 2013 #35

Are you kidding me? louis c Dec 2012 #13

Yes, I probably will. Igel Jan 2013 #36

"National Debt" and "Public Debt" are all inclusive louis c Jan 2013 #37

I think it's a lot simpler than the 14th amendment jeff47 Dec 2012 #10

+1. nt bemildred Dec 2012 #14

I think you are quite wrong Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #15

Congress continues to make laws that the Government must pay louis c Jan 2013 #22

Why I disagree with your reasoning Jim Lane Jan 2013 #30

Congress passes laws that must be obeyed louis c Jan 2013 #31

That answers nothing. Jim Lane Jan 2013 #32

From article 9 of the Constitution... Redfairen Jan 2013 #20

The debt ceiling is about "appropriations (already) made by law" louis c Jan 2013 #21

Debt Ceiling buzzroller Jan 2013 #24

Welcome to DU, buzzroller louis c Jan 2013 #25

I am hoping to hear this from the Obama administration buzzroller Jan 2013 #26

Some questions exboyfil Jan 2013 #27

I think that he should just ignore the debt ceiling louis c Jan 2013 #28

Can you get a ruling without standing? exboyfil Jan 2013 #29

It's ripe for a challenge, the debt ceiling is. DevonRex Jan 2013 #33

The time is now. Faryn Balyncd Jan 2013 #34

Get on board, this discussion will be the all the rage in the coming weeks louis c Jan 2013 #38